Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani was hospitalized in the early hours of Thursday, according to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The 96-year-old former deputy Prime Minister's condition is stable and he is currently under observation.
Advani has been admitted to the old private ward of AIIMS and is receiving treatment from the Department of Urology. While the exact nature of his ailment is not immediately clear, reports suggest that he is suffering from age-related symptoms.
In March this year, Advani was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor. The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu at Advani's residence, with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Advani’s family members in attendance.
Due to his advanced age and the harsh winter weather, Advani did not attend the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in January this year.
Advani has had a distinguished political career, serving as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from June 2002 to May 2004 and as a Union Minister from October 1999 to May 2004. He has held the post of BJP president multiple times, including from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998, and 2004 to 2005.
A key moment in Advani’s political journey was his leadership of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the late 1980s, which played a crucial role in the resurgence of cultural nationalism in India.
Born in Karachi, now part of Pakistan, in 1927, Advani migrated to India in 1947 during the Partition. His contributions to Indian politics and his pivotal role in the BJP’s rise to prominence have left an indelible mark on the country’s political landscape.
